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Botox Injections Could Help Fight Obesity

Published on February 18, 2014 by Ralph Massey

According to Los Angeles cosmetic surgeon Dr. Robert Abergel, Botox, the anti-wrinkle treatment, is being tested in Norway as a way to tackle the growing problem of obesity. When injected into the stomach wall muscles, Botox acts to slow the speed at which food travels through the stomach, making patients feel fuller longer, so they eat less.

In fact, animal studies have suggested that it could reduce weight by up to a third in just five weeks’ time.

Surgery is typically available for people with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or above.

The two most common forms of surgery are gastric banding – in which a band is fitted around the top of the stomach, causing a feeling of fullness after a small amount has been eaten – and gastric bypass – in which the stomach is surgically reduced in size so that it fills quickly. But these types of surgery include risks such as infection and blood clots.

According to your Los Angeles cosmetic surgeon, in the new trials, an endoscope (a long tube with a camera at the end) is inserted into the patient’s stomach via their mouth. The toxin is then injected into the stomach wall with a needle that is fed down the endoscope.

The researchers have found that Botox slows the speed at which the food goes through the stomach by up to 50%. ?In previous research conducted in Rome, Botox (or a placebo) was injected into the stomachs of rats and those treated with the toxin lost over 8% of their body weight while eating half as much food as the rats who were given the placebos.

The researchers conducting the new trial claim that previous studies have been small and of poor design. Meanwhile, your Los Angeles cosmetic surgeons says that scientists believe they have found the key to addressing the problem of obesity after discovering that ‘turning off’ nerve cells in the brain caused mice to eat less.

Their study, which was published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, focused on dopamine, which is a brain chemical. ?When researchers activated these cells in the decision-making area of the mice’s brains, the animals ate more and inhibiting the cells made them eat less.

Because the prefrontal cortex intersects with the part of the brain that processes emotional responses, the researchers believe this junction could be where eating behavior is regulated.

If you having any questions regarding the effects and benefits of Botox, call the office of Los Angeles cosmetic surgeon Dr. Robert Abergel to schedule an appointment.